Rising country star Kip Moore could have recorded the follow-up to his 2012 debut album in Nashville's plushest studios, but the 33-year-old “Somethin' 'Bout a Truck” singer chose a bare-bones setting that literally had more roaches than luxuries. “No TV, no couches, no nothing in there,” Moore said on the phone last week from the road. “It helped play a mind trick on me, too. I like that feeling of being on edge and not being happy where I was.” The setup is contrived, but for Moore - who performs Friday at Patriot Center as apart of Lady Antebellum's Take Me Downtown Tour - it produced the results he desired.

On Monday, May 10, 2004, ELIZABETH I. "Kip" aged 79 years. Beloved wife of the late Joseph in 2001, dear mother of Mark J. Des Marais of Baltimore, MD and Timothy J. Des Marais of Tampa, FL. Also surviving are seven grandchildren and a sister, Coeleen Kiebert Boss of Aptos, CA. Friends may call Tuesday evening from six until eight o'clock at the Godfrey Funeral Home of Palermo, 644 South Shore Road, Palermo, NJ. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered...

To be fair, the Chesapeake Bayhawks' defensive effort in Sunday's 10-9 victory over the Charlotte Hounds in the Major League Lacrosse championship final at PPL Park was a team-wide one. Defenseman Jesse Bernhardt (Maryland) and long-stick midfielder Barney Ehrmann each scooped up a team-high four ground balls, Ehrmann and Nicky Polanco limited Charlotte midfielders Peet Poillon (UMBC) and Jake Tripucka to a combined one goal and one assist, and defenseman Brian Spallina shut out attackman Matt White.

A four-run first inning plus eight shutout innings from starting pitcher Derek Livernois led the New Britain Red Sox to a 5-0 victory over the Hagerstown Suns last night in a Double-A Eastern League game.In the first inning, the Red Sox's outburst was at the expense of Suns starter Kip Yaughn.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- David DeJesus and John Buck drove in two runs apiece and Kansas City erased an early four-run deficit in an interleague clash between the two worst teams in the majors. The two starters, Mark Redman (4-4) and Kip Wells, were a combined 13-33 last year for the Pirates. Wells lasted 3 1/3 innings in his first start since undergoing surgery in March for a blocked artery.

Magic City James W. Hall Con Ed Matthew Klein Warner / 320 pages / $23.99 The dirty secret of con artist novels is that to work well, they should be less about the con and more about the artist. Finding a way to make the reader care about a criminal whose primary goal is to rip off others can be exceedingly difficult, but Matthew Klein, in his American debut, has the best possible asset at his disposal: a commanding, wry voice equally comfortable with one-liners as it is with introspection and character development.

It may have been possible for a movie version of "The English Patient" to capture the spirit of Michael Ondaatje's sublime novel, but the current film directed by Anthony Minghella must disappoint anyone who has read and loved the book. In principle it need not have been so.Although the words of novels do not find absolute equivalents in the images of film, film offers the power of physical reality to which a novel can only refer. "Words, Caravaggio," says Count de Almasy in the novel, "they have a power."

Shifting winds to 16 knots made for tight, tactical racing yesterday in the National Offshore One Design series being sailed this weekend off Annapolis.After two days of racing, the difference between first and second is two points or less in eight of the 16 classes.In the top-rated 1D 35 Class, however, Roxanne, sailed by Kip Meadows of Rocky Mount, N.C., has a commanding lead, with one race left to be sailed today.Racing is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on courses set between the Bay Bridge and Thomas Point Light.

CHESTER, Pa. -- An article I wrote for Saturday's editions detailed how Kip Turner was just one of three goalkeepers since 2005 to record a save percentage of at least 60 percent in the Major League Lacrosse postseason and how he parlayed that performance into propelling the Chesapeake Bayhawks to the championship last season - their fourth Steinfeld Trophy in franchise history. With a 53.8 save percentage (14 saves on 26 shots) in No. 2 seed Chesapeake's 13-12 decision against the No. 3 seed Hamilton Nationals in Saturday's semifinal at PPL Park, Turner is off last year's pace, but the most significant result is that he and his teammates are one victory away from capturing back-to-back titles.

John Grant Jr. controlled the ball about 30 feet from the Denver Outlaws goal during a vital possession for the Bayhawks on Saturday night. Chesapeake, trailing 9-5 midway through the third period, had a two-man advantage and a golden opportunity to generate some much-needed momentum. But as Grant penetrated into the teeth of Denver's defense, two Outlaws collided into the attackman, causing the ball to pop out of his stick. Denver defender Matt Bocklet emerged out of an ensuing scrum with the ball and the Bayhawks' extra-man opportunity evaporated two seconds later.

Kip and Harrison Hart sit at the kitchen table in their Towson home, along with their mother, Barb Cox, and their South African "brother," Phinius Sebatsane, pondering how they're going to handle the massive amount of donations filling the dining and living rooms. Through the doorway looms 1,400 pounds of donated lacrosse shoes, uniforms and equipment, coming from Friends School and Hereford High, as well as other schools around the country. In Wisconsin, the St. John's Northwestern Military Academy collected another 2,500 pounds of donations, packed in 50-pound boxes.

By Marie Marciano Gullard, Special to The Baltimore Sun | August 14, 2010

What began four years ago as an idea for a small weekend retreat soon morphed into plans for a full-time, lodge-style homestead where Kip Fulks, one of the founding partners in Under Armour sports apparel, and his wife, Beth, could find permanent refuge. "We wanted to build a house where we could grow old together," said Kip Fulks, the 39-year-old senior vice president of outdoor and innovation for Under Armour. "[So] we had to build a home that would be exciting to wake up to every day. " Susan Major, owner of the Hestia Design Group in Columbia, was a key player in the house's story from the very beginning, as the Fulks admired her work and took her on board as decorator and adviser.

By Mary Johnson and Mary Johnson,Special to The Baltimore Sun | June 21, 2009

Colonial Players is capping its 60th season with a sparkling comedy about a couple grappling with their version of the seven-year itch. A major bonus of CP's excellent season was discovering American playwright David Lindsay-Abaire in October with Rabbit Hole and now being treated to another of his works, Wonder of the World, at the end of the season. Lindsay-Abaire, who was recently nominated for a Tony as author of the book for the musical Shrek, established his comedic gifts with Wonder, which premiered on Broadway in October 2003.

Magic City James W. Hall Con Ed Matthew Klein Warner / 320 pages / $23.99 The dirty secret of con artist novels is that to work well, they should be less about the con and more about the artist. Finding a way to make the reader care about a criminal whose primary goal is to rip off others can be exceedingly difficult, but Matthew Klein, in his American debut, has the best possible asset at his disposal: a commanding, wry voice equally comfortable with one-liners as it is with introspection and character development.

It wasn't the perfect game, but it was a complete game by Virginia. At different points during the contest, the No. 5 Cavaliers played great defense, superb offense and overcame injuries. They were able to get a nice lead and then close out it out in the final quarter as they defeated No. 9 Syracuse, 11-8, yesterday before 20,180 at M&T Bank Stadium. Mission accomplished. "The most important part of today's game is how we closed out the last 10 minutes," said Virginia attackman Ben Rubeor, who finished with three goals and two assists.

By Cassandra A. Fortin and Cassandra A. Fortin,special to the sun | November 26, 2006

Five-month-old Mischka and 2-year-old Romeo squirmed on Santa's lap. A few feet away, Santa's helpers Amanda Austin and Ashley Holland squeaked plastic toys and called them by name using silly voices. Holland snapped a few shots, hoping to get both subjects looking at the camera at the same time. But when Mischka and Romeo hopped down off Santa's lap and scampered back to mom and dad, they did so with their tails wagging wildly. "These are our children for now," said Kyle Leavitt, holding the Pomeranians in his arms at Harford Mall.